Dear Diary, Today is the first day I've written. I plan to log stuff about, my little journey into the music areana. The quest to perform in a style that could give back to "Old Timey Music", I love so well. My goal is to dwell mainly on the interesting folk I meet along the way.
Walkin' Willie
4/23/04
Finally: Merlfest! 80,000 people and yet very organized, clean, with southern hospitality! We got our pictures taken with stars & campfire jammed. The Kruger Brothers, a couple of boys from Switzerland, "up & moved to Deep Gap, near Doc Watson" to get the music in them. It worked. It is truly "the cradle" for lot's of styles that developed later into things like Bluegrass, Old Timey, & Rural Blues. Banjo Bob & I were featured as the "Rochester Duo" in the local Wilkesboro Journal - Patriot. I was dubbed "a student of the old time styles" Aren't we all? We met lots of folks campfire-jammin. Doug & Dave, twin brothers from Minnesota, were in the camp across from ours. They were very rural & unique. Doug would start a sentence & Dave would finish it. One story was about why Doug's right hand was kind of curled. (Doug) "I was out walkin in Minnesota... uh... (Dave) "...and he got frost bite so bad his hand was curled up, all in a fist, and..." (Doug) "I was only four." He really plays in a clawhammer style - on guitar! Etta Baker performed. She's 92 years old! Her "secret"? "Hard Work" Her young 87 year old back up fiddler's: "I love myself & everybody!" The final clincher years after meeting Doc at the Red Creek, (where I opened for him, two years in a row!!!), banjo Bob & I found Doc's house! No one at the festival either knew or could tell us where he lives. Then we talked to a couple of locals in bib overalls, having breakfast & smoking cigarettes in the restaurant in town. After smooth talking and some bribery, we were taking our pictures in front of Doc's house. Right next door to his house is an old rustic cabin, where sitting on the back porch was an (Amish - like - dressed) woman who turned out to be Doc's only remaining child, Nancy. She was very kind and allowed us to chat awhile. We drove home through the Blueridge Mountains feeling "born-again" listening to Del Mccoury singing the "Ashville Turn Around."
W.W. May 7th, 04
Dec 2004: Time to update my Diary log! It's been very busy with family & friends, work & gigs.., (For anyone interested, I have a wife & six kids,& five Grandchildren! So.., It's a busy albeit wonderful life.) for this web page we'll stick to the music experiences.The highlights were many & too numerous to mention all.., But I'm especially grateful for a couple highlights that come to mind: > Java John's coffee house on first Friday's. Due to John & his wife's personal reasons, they had to stop having entertainment. That is a loss to many in that Spencerport community. I'm thankful for having played there for 2 years! >The Bristol Valley Theater. Many thanks to Troy Cusson & the gang @BVT for having Walkin' Willie last fall in concert. I met a lot of cool folks down that way who are commited to preserving American Roots styles like mine as "a labor of love". >Golden Link's Turtle Hill festival. Thanks for having me join Annie & the Hedonists in the blues work shop. & Also: for featuring me in their artist's showcase earlier in the year too. >Deborah Magone: Playing backup slide guitar for this fine blues singer at some of her gigs taught me a lot more about the back up.., Besides now she is a great friend & fine interpreter of the Blues as well! >Blue Delta: That's my friends Bruce Jackson (on Bass) & Tom Bernhardi (on Blues Harp). They sure "got some nice chops", in the living room & on stage. Making us sound larger than three people jammin.., >Last but not least, is the many friends I've made with folks who've showed up at my performances! You have made it possible for me to interpret the early Blues & Gospel styles & have helped direct me on my path. I hope that friendship continues! Looking forward to next years adventures! WW January 2005 New Year's plans (as printed in Golden Link Newsletter) Alright, we may sometimes fall short of our plans to improve each year but shouldn't we still try and move ahead with better goals than say, endless nights of TV, for instance? For me music has always been a great alternative to "watching other people live." So here's some musical New Year's resolutions: (A) Jam with more musicians. I've learned 6 songs off Cabin Fever's new CD and plan to darken their doorway soon, & sit-in, (perhaps on slide guitar?) to see if I can play along. I've been backing an area blues singer named Deborah Magone on a couple of her gigs and it's taught me a lot! Especially the blues as played by someone like this fine player in my own back yard.., B) Promote Piedmont blues. Of course I happen to be a fan & performer of this style of music which encompasses country, blues, as well as ragtime influences. Golden Link members are familiar with Roy Bookbinder, and Andy Cohen, who have graced Rochester with this exciting music.., For what it's worth, I'll be pursuing a larger catalog of piedmont style Cd's to play on the weekly radio show too.If you have any artists in mind you think could add to this under exposed undertaking, or would like to lend a Cd to play on my show, let me know! In fact all of you acoustic artists who may have a Cd needing some respected airplay all over the world can send it right to: WDYN Radio 2846 Dewey Ave Rochester, N.Y. 14616 att Walkin' Willie Note: WDYN's General Manager, Dave Kasperson has made some remarkable inroads with large ratings world wide, of people listening to independent music! You can tune in any time at: www.WDYN.Net My show: Walkin' Willie's Folk & Blues show airs Sunday Mornings @11am and rebroadcast Wed. Eves @11pm